Andy Alvarez, Webmaster Central founder and chief executive, got his start during the Golden Years of online porn, when membership sites were burgeoning beyond belief and content was relatively limited — at least it wasn't as diverse as it is today. Well, fast-forward 18 years, and Alvarez continues helping webmasters provide an ample supply of content to much more diverse and demanding audiences, and in so many different formats.
XBIZ World recently chatted with Alvarez to find out about his start and see where Webmaster Central stands today.
Every customer we have has different needs and as a company we need to be able to supply that. We can integrate into any platform custom or CMS.
XBIZ: How many years have you been involved in the industry and where did you get your start?
ALVAREZ: I have been in the adult industry 18+ years. I started Webmaster Central straight out of Florida State in 1996.
XBIZ: How did Webmaster Central come about?
ALVAREZ: In 1996 there was very little information out there but I heard of a new convention about 60 miles from my home in Orlando called IA2000. There, I met a lot of young entrepreneurs like myself. At that time adult membership sites were the largest thing in the industry and what I found was no one was selling content. I found a few studios willing to sell me some movies and that was really the beginning of Webmaster Central. I knew I had found my calling in life and Webmaster Central only grew from there. Many of my first clients are still customers today and many are some of my closest friends.
XBIZ: What are porn fans really looking for in content these days?
ALVAREZ: One thing we have learned over the years is that variety is essential as everyone is different and something that caters to a person might be the exact opposite for someone else. The one thing that is the same for all users is the want for high quality clear videos that can be watched on every device.
XBIZ: Your company offers many turnkey and customized solutions? How important is that for your clients?
ALVAREZ: I would say this is one of the most important things for our clients. Every customer we have has different needs and as a company we need to be able to supply that. We can integrate into any platform custom or CMS. Our member area content is fully customizable whether through our API XML Gateway or our many custom content solutions. The turnkey products we offer have been a huge plus for clients that are looking to add new sites. Whether it be to add to their current site profile or use for additional sales like one click upsells, the solution we build custom per client helps their bottom line.
Here is what Webmaster Central does. Supply state-of-the-art content at a reasonable rate using the best HD content and delivery methods in the World.
XBIZ: What’s the strength of the gay market?
ALVAREZ: I feel the strength of the gay market that I have seen is the loyalty and commitment their members show. The retention rates are higher than most straight sites and we try and help them achieve that. Gay owners seem to be in touch of what their members want and that’s why so many have been so successful through the years.
XBIZ: And the mobile market? Where are we with that today?
ALVAREZ: Webmaster Central started providing mobile content about 7 years ago. Today we have more mobile traffic than regular PC. All of our content is mobile compatible and works on every device. This is still a growing market and our data shows it will continue trending upwards. This year we began providing adaptive tours which is something that I believe will become the norm in the near future.
XBIZ: What’s coming up for the company as we enter the last few months of the year? And how about 2015?
ALVAREZ: What I will say about that and this is my promise to our clients: When you use Webmaster Central you will have the best content available ... whatever the niche ... whatever the technology that comes out we will have it. In 2015 we plan on adding more CDN pops so our customers can watch our content at the fastest possible speeds worldwide. Our main goal is and will remain to be making our product the best leased content available to companies in our fantastic adult space.
